Kevin Seraphin was standing on the court listening to the French national anthem playing for the first time in his NBA career, trying to keep his emotions stable as the camera captured him mouthing the words.

Long before he was swept up in the anthem, the Frenchman spent an hour getting an elaborate haircut to serve as a tribute to his home country, with a peace sign shaved into the back of his head above the word, “PARIS.”

He said there were goosebumps when the Garden speakers blasted the France anthem before tipoff, and a personal effort to prevent tears.

“The camera was in my face, so I was like, ‘I cannot do that,’” he said. “That was very emotional.”

Kevin Seraphin plays key minutes down the stretch as the Knicks beat the Pelicans at MSG.

(Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

Seraphin pays tribute to his home country with the word "Paris" shaved into his head Sunday.

(Kathy Willens/AP)

Kevin Seraphin, who helps the Knicks beat the Pelicans Sunday, pays tribute to his home country (r.) by getting 'Paris' shaved into the back of his head.

Having navigated that rollercoaster, Seraphin did his country proud Sunday with his best game as a Knick, a 12-point effort in 14 minutes that buoyed a fourth-quarter run in a 95-87 victory over the Pelicans.

Seraphin, a member of the French national team, hadn’t played in the previous game against Cleveland and was stuck to the bench for the entire first half Sunday. But the backup forward went from another potential DNP to a late-game catalyst.

“He gets the game ball. If we were doing team game balls, he gets it,” Carmelo Anthony said. “He deserves it. He was ready, came in and was a big part of kind of our run that we made.

“To see him, and what he is dealing with emotionally and mentally, be prepared when his number was called was big.”

The Knicks (5-6) had dropped their previous two games because they couldn’t hold a late lead, with Seraphin logging a combined three minutes off the bench. On Sunday in front of a sleepy afternoon crowd at the Garden, the 25-year-old was on the court with 11 minutes remaining and the score knotted at 68, having communicated with coach Derek Fisher about improving his defense.

Seraphin scored six points and dished out two assists for layups over the next seven minutes, as the Knicks went on a 18-8 run to spoil a gem from Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (36 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots) and capitalize on a big double-double from Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 13 rebounds).

“It’s difficult, for sure. It’s hard timing and crazy to be out there,” said Seraphin, who signed a one-year deal with the Knicks over the summer. “There’s nobody out on the street (in Paris).

It’s hard because it can happen anywhere. You just don't know, so that’s kind of scary because my family, my mom, live in Paris. But you cannot be scared of it. We just have to fight for it.”

The Knicks pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before Sunday's game.

“We had a little conversation. I kind of went into his office and just asked him, ‘What do you expect from me? What should I do more of or better to get on the court and just have the chance to play?” Seraphin said. “He told me he expects more from me on the defensive end.”

Still, the Knicks nearly blew it after Seraphin returned to the bench. New Orleans (1-9) had two possessions in the final two minutes with a four-point deficit, but Jrue Holiday missed an open runner and Eric Gordon bricked a 3-point attempt.

The Knicks finished their opening stretch of 11 games with nine opponents that made the playoffs last season, surviving with a record above most expectations.